In
the 1930’s the revelators presented a rather shocking picture of Western
thinking and religion. Here is what they reported:

At
the time of this revelation the prevailing intellectual and
philosophic climate of both European and American life is decidedly
secular-humanistic. For 300 years Western thinking has
been progressively secularized …. The majority of professed Christians
of Western civilization are unwittingly actual secularists.
(2081; my emphasis)

Today,
I would pose this question: Is this also true of us? Are the majority
of Urantia Book readers also unwittingly actual secularists?

Are the majority of Urantia Book readers
unwittingly actual secularists?

The Secular
Denial of Prophesy

If
this is not so, then why do so many sincere students of the Urantia
Book manifest a decidedly secular attitude towards prophecy; why do
so few believe in the validity of prophecy, take it seriously, and recognize
its application to both ancient and modern times? The Urantia Book teaches
that secularism ignores God or even seeks to replace the religious perspective
with its own secular and humanistic worldview. (2081) Likewise it would
seem that many Urantia readers ignore the teachings of prophecy and
in its place affirm an attitude of “secular social and political optimism,”
a viewpoint the revelators clearly label “an illusion” (2081)

Webster’s
defines secularism as “a view of life or any particular matter based
on the premise that religion and religious considerations should be
ignored or purposely excluded.” This is the natural secular attitude
towards prophecy. The supposedly inspired writings of the prophets are
a relic of the past, an ancient and superstitious way of looking at
the world, that is incompatible with modern science. The future is not
in God’s hands; it is up to us, and unaided human evolution is our
only hope for a better world.

“religious considerations should be ignored or purposely excluded”

An Example
of the Secular Attitude

A
good example of this secular attitude is expressed in the following
letter I received from a good friend of mine and sincere student of
the Urantia Book, back in 1992:

“I’m
beginning to have doubt regarding prophecy of any sort. Could prophecy
simply be a hoax? Many of the biblical prophecies may have been put
into scripture after the fact. Were all of them? Most prophecies seem
vague and the natural course of evolving history can be made to appear
to fit them any number of ways. The Bible is full of prophecies that
are subject to all kinds of interpretation. I can’t think of one single
prophecy that says specifically what, when, and where something will
occur at a future time and it has actually irrefutably occurred.”

“The
only so-called prophecy I can recall from The Urantia Book is that Jesus
said he will someday return, but that’s not really a prophecy, it’s
a statement of Jesus’ intention. The statements about science that
we haven’t discovered yet aren’t real prophecies, they’re explanations
of natural phenomenon that we haven’t uncovered.”

“Why
should God be interested in giving signs to mortals? Perhaps prophecy
is a left over remnant of primitive superstitions still given credence
today. For a prophecy to be real wouldn’t it have to show that God
is directing the affairs of humanity; God doesn’t really do that does
he?”

“So,
as you can see, I’m toying with the viewpoint that if it’s called
a prophecy it’s a superstitious attempt to claim something supernatural,
a meaningless figment of the imagination supposedly showing God’s
intervention into human affairs.”

Part 2

The Prophetic
Viewpoint

The
prophetic viewpoint stands in stark contrast to such secular attitudes
of skepticism and doubt. It affirms that God is in control of our
world. His spiritual forces work behind the scenes, and sometimes
openly, to influence events on earth. As the Urantia Book explicitly
affirms on page 1250: “The Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men”

“The Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men”

God
controls the future and God knows the future. Such knowledge is conveyed
to us through the revelations of his inspired prophets. Their words
deserve our attention, respect, and study. Prophecy is valuable because
through its revelations we gain a higher perspective, an enlarged viewpoint
of world affairs. No longer are we limited to our purely human vision.
We may view the flow of earthly events from the transcendent perspective
of a prophetic viewpoint.

A friend once asked me, “Why should I study prophecy? I’m a busy
person. How is prophecy relevant to me?” In reply I asked him if he
remembered Hurricane Andrew? In 1992 this powerful category
4 hurricane slammed into southern Florida with sustained winds of 142
mph. It caused 30 billion dollars in damage, and in Dade County alone
left one-quarter million people homeless. Despite the fact that it was
the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, it resulted in
only 40 deaths. I remember at the time thinking, “What if residents
had not known of the approach of this killer hurricane and had not evacuated
the predicted areas of impact?” Obviously the death toll would have
much greater. It was their knowledge of the approach of Hurricane Andrew
that enabled the people to prepare for it and avoid a far greater calamity.
As this example clearly shows, when we know the future we can prepare
for that future; this is the vital knowledge that prophecy provides.

Viewing the flow of human events from the standpoint of prophecy can
also bring us the comfort, understanding, and stability we need to face
the great challenges and dangers of our world. Moreover, prophecy is
a most interesting and fascinating study. It not only enlarges our viewpoint;
it also deepens our faith. And when we witness events unfold as prophesied,
we are strengthened in that faith.

The
word prophet comes from “pro” and “phana” and means literally,
to speak for or to say before. The words’ ancestry is clearly
reflected in the two major definitions of a prophet given by Webster’s:
(1) “A person inspired by God…to speak for him and,” (2) “A
person who prophesies or foretells future events.”

The
Urantia Book defines this first function on page 1501 where it characterizes
a prophet as one who “taught God’s will or proclaimed the necessity
for righteous living.” The potential of the second function, the ability
to know the future from a transcendent perspective, is validated on
page 1000 where the revelators affirm that, “true prophetic vision
is a superpsychologic endowment. Such visitations are not pseudo hallucinations,
neither are they trancelike ecstasies.”

The Validity
of Prophecy

Modern
secular religionists tend to accept the validity of the first function
and reject the second. They divorce the two. They do this despite of
the fact that in the writings of the prophets these two functions are
intimately associated. Moreover, if one believes that true prophets
speak for God it seems unlikely on the face of it that they should be
so deceived as to engage in false prophecy. It would mean that throughout
history, prophets who taught God’s will and whom we rightly revere
as among the greatest men ever to inhabit the earth, were also at the
same time so blinded by “primitive superstition,” that they mistakenly
thought their prophecies came from God.

In
light of the skepticism and doubt engendered by modern secular attitudes
it is helpful to review a few of the reasons a sincere student of the
Urantia Book should be more open to the prophetic viewpoint:

Jesus and
Prophecy

Jesus
was a prophet. He performed the two functions of a prophet: he taught
the way of righteousness and he predicted the future. Not only that,
he studied the Jewish prophets and sought to understand his mission
in terms of their predictions. A striking example of this is found in
Jesus’ decision to enter Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a horse.
This is described on page 1881:

“Having
decided upon making a public entrance into Jerusalem, the Master was
confronted with the necessity of choosing a proper method of executing
such a resolve. Jesus thought over all of the … Messianic prophecies,
but there seemed to be only one which was at all appropriate for him
to follow...[and which he] thought might consistently be taken as a
guide for his projected entry into Jerusalem. This Scripture was found
in Zechariah, and it said: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout,
O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king comes to you. He is just
and he brings salvation. He comes as the lowly one, riding upon an ass,
upon a colt, the foal of an ass.’” I think we would all agree that
this is an excellent and explicit description of the events of Palm
Sunday, and it was foretold hundreds of years before its actual occurrence.

Of
course, Jesus was not only guided by the prophets of old, he also made
numerous predictions himself. These include his own death and resurrection,
the destruction of Jerusalem, a future new age, and his own second coming.
Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem provides a vivid
demonstration of the value of knowing the future through prophecy. Jesus
was concerned for the safety of his disciples and clearly told his apostles
what was to be and what they should do. This is recounted on page 1913:
"You may remain in the city after I have gone, even through these
times of travail and bitter persecution, but when you finally see Jerusalem
being encompassed by the Roman armies after the revolt of the false
prophets, then will you know that her desolation is at hand; then must
you flee to the mountains …. And after you have deserted the city,
this disobedient people will fall by the edge of the sword and will
be led captive into all nations; and so shall Jerusalem be trodden down
by the gentiles.” Because they believed this astounding prophecy of
Jerusalem’s complete destruction they were able to save themselves.
Those who did not know or accept Jesus’ warning suffered a terrible
slaughter

Melchizedek
and Prophecy

Melchizedek,
the priest of Salem, also was a prophet. He predicted that the childless
Abraham would become the father of many, that his descendants would
sojourn in Egypt, and then would occupy Canaan, “the Promised Land.”
And he predicted the future coming of Jesus; this is recounted on page1017:
“Melchizedek taught that at some future time another Son of God would
come in the flesh as he had come, but that he would be born of a woman;
and that is why numerous later teachers held that Jesus was a priest,
or minister, ‘forever after the order of Melchizedek.’”

Melchizedek
collaborated with the prophets

The
revelators tell us that after he left, “Melchizedek continued to take
a great interest in the affairs of the descendants of those men who
had believed in his teachings.” We are also told that that Melchizedek
has a “comprehensive plan for far-reaching world welfare,” (853)
and most significantly, that he “continued to collaborate
throughout the nineteen succeeding centuries with the many prophets
and seers ….” (1024; my emphasis) The fact that Melchizedek has
a comprehensive plan for our welfare and that he collaborated with the
Jewish prophets suggests that elements of this plan are to be found
in their teachings.

The Urantia
Book Exalts the Prophets

The
Urantia Book exalts the prophets and affirms the truth of their prophetic
viewpoint. They often quote and cast new light on Biblical prophecy.
For example on 1488 we find the following statement: “In the Urantia
records it is very difficult at times to know exactly who is referred
to by the term ‘Most High.’ But Daniel fully understood these matters.
He said, ‘The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to
whomever he will.’” And on page 599 we find this clarification of
John’s prophecy of a new heaven and a new earth: “It was of the
conclusion of the terminal mission of the Teacher Sons that John wrote:
‘I saw a new heaven and a new earth and the new Jerusalem coming down
from God out of heaven, prepared as a princess adorned for the prince.’”

Prophecies
that were Fulfilled—Jeremiah

With
the perspective of history we may now find many examples of prophecies
that were fulfilled. Jeremiah’s story is one of my favorites. He lived
in the sixth century BC, just before the time of the fall of Jerusalem
to Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem
for over twenty years before it actually took place in 586 BC. The rulers’
response to his message was to ignore his warnings and put him in prison.

Jeremiah’s
prophecies are very specific and right on the money. For example in
Jer. 4:6 & 7 we find this, “A great lion (Nebuchadnezzar) has
gone up from his thicket, a destroyer of nations has set out; he has
gone forth from his place to make your land a waste; your cities will
be ruins without inhabitant.” And in Jer. 20:4 we read, “I will
give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, he shall carry
them captive to Babylon.”

Jeremiah’s
prophecies also provide another clear demonstration of the value of
prophecy. Jeremiah warned the rulers that Babylon would conquer Jerusalem
and that they should surrender to avoid greater losses. Pause to notice
that the entire fate of the Jewish nation was bound up in the rulers’
acceptance of Jeremiah’s prophecy. But they refused to listen and
held fast to their purely human viewpoint. Their failure to heed Jeremiah’s
council resulted in the complete destruction of the Jewish state and
70 years of exile in Babylon.

By
the way, this prophecy of Jeremiah is confirmed by The Urantia Book
on 1067: “it was considered blasphemous treason when during the siege
of Jerusalem, [Jeremiah] said; ‘And now have I given these lands into
the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant.’ And
when Jeremiah counseled the surrender of the city, the priests and civil
rulers cast him into the miry pit of a dismal dungeon.”

The Urantia
Book Engages in Prophecy

The
Urantia Book itself engages in prophecy and contains numerous explicit
predictions of what is to come. Following are a few illustrative examples:

(1)
“Having summarized the teachings of Jesus about the kingdom of heaven,
we are permitted to … engage in a prophetic forecast of the
kingdom as it may evolve in the age to come.” (1864; my emphasis)

(2)
“Urantia is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing
and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and
spiritual enlightenment.” (2082)

(3)
“Sooner or later another and greater John the Baptist is due to arise,
proclaiming, ‘the kingdom of God is at hand.’” (1866)

(4)
“This new and oncoming social order will not settle down complacently
for a millennium.” (1086)

These
are only a very few of the many examples that could be cited. This subject
of prophecy in the Urantia Book will be explored in greater detail in
the next section.

we
are permitted to engage in a prophetic forecast

Summary

In
summary: For more than 300 years western thinking has become more and
more secularized. This unconscious and unrecognized secular attitude
is so pervasive that it is found in the majority of professed religionists¾both
Christian and Urantian. This “thoughtless secularism” leads many
to ignore prophecy and doubt its validity and usefulness.

In
contrast to such secular attitudes of doubt and skepticism the prophetic
viewpoint affirms that God, not man, is ultimately in control of human
destiny. God knows the future and reveals it to us through prophetic
revelation. Prophecy is useful to us because it allows us to reach beyond
our circumscribed human viewpoint, and provides a higher and divine
perspective on world affairs. Through prophecy we are better able to
understand and accept the unfolding of word events. And, most significantly,
by knowing the future we may better prepare for that future.

If
sincere students of the Urantia Book honestly examine the evidence they
will find powerful and persuasive reasons for embracing prophecy. These
reasons include the following: First, Jesus was a prophet. He made numerous
predictions, including the destruction of Jerusalem and his own second
coming. As a youth he studied the Jewish prophets and as an adult he
conducted his life mission in the light of their pronouncements. Second,
Melchizedek was also prophet. He predicted that the childless Abraham
would become the father of the Jewish people and the future coming of
Jesus. Of special significance is the fact that he has a plan for the
rehabilitation of our planet, and that he actually collaborated with
the Old Testament prophets. Third, in the light of history we may now
recognize many clear examples of fulfilled prophecy. Jeremiah’s prediction
of Jerusalem’s destruction and the Babylonian captivity is one such
example. Fourth, the Urantia Book exalts the prophets, affirms the validity
of prophecy, and often confirms and clarifies specific prophecies. Fifth,
the Urantia Book itself makes numerous “prophetic forecasts.” One
that is especially meaningful to us is its prediction of an impending
new age, a better time to come.

In
conclusion,these and other considerations suggest that we should
guard against the secular bias of modern times, and open ourselves to
the validity and value of prophecy.

“open
ourselves to the validity and
value of prophecy”

Chapter II

Part 1

Urantia Book
Prophecy and the Secular-Spiritual Conflict

If
we are open to prophecy and read the Urantia Book with an eye for prophetic
content, there is much we can learn about our future. By being alert
to statements and phrases that offer prophetic clues to the future,
we can gather an amazing wealth of information. For example, consider
the rise of modern secularism and its conflict with religion. What may
we learn about the future of this struggle and what will be its final
outcome?

The
future grows out of the present and to properly understand our future
we also need to understand present conditions. One of the reasons I
find the prophetic content of the Urantia Book to be particularly helpful
is that it actually tells us both the present and the future. And in
the case of the secular-spiritual conflict, it offers us an even deeper
understanding by also providing the historical factors that lead to
our present state of affairs.

History of
Secularism

On
page 2081 the midwayers tell us that modern secularism was fostered
by two world-wide influences: “the narrow minded and godless attitude
of nineteenth and twentieth century so-called science—atheistic science,”
and “the totalitarian medieval Christian church.” It had its inception
as “a rising protest against the almost complete domination of western
civilization by the institutionalized Christian church.” Secularism
has brought us numerous benefits, which contributed to its rise and
present popularity: it broke the bonds of church control, and has promoted
tolerance, social service, democratic government, civil liberties, science,
and education.

The Predicted
Results of Secularism

However,
along with these positive results the midwayers also reveal that secularism
has brought numerous unintended consequences. As we look at their discussion
of these negative results, we need to remember that these words were
indicted some 70 years ago. With the perspective of history we can now
see that their analysis has proven to be an amazingly accurate prediction
of the direction of world events in both the twentieth and now the twenty-first
centuries. And their prophetic forecasts of the outworking of secularism
are even more applicable today; in fact we may view them as reliable
predictors of a future that will be played out in our own lifetimes.
We live in a world in which secularism and its struggle with religion
is ever growing in prominence, and progressing towards a final climax.

The
Blighting of Spiritual Experience

In
1935 the revelators clearly warned us of the devastation secularism
would bring; this is what they said:

even
after materialism and mechanism has been more or less vanquished the
devastating influence of twentieth century secularism will still
blight the spiritual experience of millions of unsuspecting souls.
(2081; my emphasis)

At
the outset let us clearly understand this great danger that secularism
poses—it blights spiritual experience. In the plant world,
blight first causes the plant to cease growing, then to decay, and finally
to die. And this is an apt description of the effect that modern secularism
has on religious faith and spiritual experience. This is the greatest
and most insidious effect of modern secularism; without our knowledge
it effectively blocks and eventually destroys spiritual experience and
religious living. And it does so on a vast scale, affecting “millions
of unsuspecting souls.”

Social
Disintegration

A second major effect of secularism is the disintegration of society.
Consider the following analysis of conditions in the 1930’s, and notice
that the midwayers warning of coming social disintegration has proven
all too true:

Without
God, without religion, scientific secularism
can never co-ordinate its forces....
This secularistic human society, notwithstanding its unparalleled materialistic
achievement, is slowly disintegrating. (2082; my emphasis)

Now
whether we are talking about marriage, family life, communities, ethnic
and religious strife, national affairs, or international relations,
who can doubt that such social disintegration has taken place and indeed
is a defining characteristic of modern times? And if we look to the
future we may discern that we face continuing social disintegration
until that day when secularism is finally overcome.

The
Rise of Totalitarian States

A
third predicted effect of secularism is the rise of totalitarian states.
On page 2081 the revelators warn us of this totalitarian threat:

Secularism
did break the bonds of church control, and now in turn it threatens
to establish a new and godless type of mastery over the hearts and minds
of modern man. The tyrannical and dictatorial political state is the
direct offspring of scientific materialism and philosophic secularism.
Secularism no sooner frees man from the domination of the institutionalized
church than it sells him into slavish bondage to the totalitarian state.

Totalitarianism
is defined as “domination by a government of all political, social,
and economic activities in a nation.” It first appeared in the Soviet
Union under Lenin and Stalin, and later in the 1930’s under Hitler’s
National Socialism. Benito Mussolini was the first to use the word totalitarian
to describe his Italian dictatorship. One can distinguish the totalitarian
regime from all traditional tyrannies by its mobilization of entire
populations in support of the state and its political ideology. Later
twentieth century examples of totalitarian societies include Maoist
China, the Cambodian Khmer Rouge, the Laotian Pathet Lao, the Taliban
in Afganistan, and Sadam Hussain’s Iraq. Some present day examples
include Lybia under Qadaffi, Bathist Syria, the Socialist Republic of
Vietnam, and North Korea. This rise of powerful totalitarian states
was a distinct feature of the 20th century that continues to the present
day, and poses the major political challenge to the 21st century. Most
ominously the new century has witnessed a new form of this threat in
the rise of a militant and totalitarian Islam. As we look to the future
we must have the courage to face the tests that lie before us; and
this worldwide struggle between totalitarianism and freedom will characterize
the twentieth-first century.

Unrest,
Animosity, Unhappiness, War, and World-Wide Disaster

The
fourth predicted effect has the ring of apocalyptic prophecy as the
revelators warn us of coming war and world-wide disaster. One of the
major barriers to accepting prophecy is fear—especially the fear of
facing an unknown and possibly unpleasant future. A prophetic viewpoint
requires courage and a willingness to sincerely and honestly follow
the truth no matter where it leads, regardless of the consequences.
In the case of secularism the revelators explicitely warn us that this
godless philosophy will bring a future of fearsome challenges. The following
statement makes this quite plain:

Twentieth-century
secularism tends to affirm that man does not need God. But beware! this godless philosophy of human society will
lead only to unrest, animosity, unhappiness, war, and world-wide disaster.
(2081; my emphasis)

Notice
the verb “will lead”; this signifies a statement about our future,
and is a very clear example of prophecy in the Urantia Book. Not only
are the revelators foretellng the future; they are warning us about
it, just as did the prophets of old. They say “But beware.”
In other words, watch out for what is coming. Secularism will lead to
disasterous consequences, and this is what you should expect. The revelators
reinforce and emphasize this point later in the same section, again
warning us that:

The
complete secularization of science, education, industry, and society
can lead only to disaster. (2082)

The verb phrase “can lead only” leaves little room for doubt
as to what secularism will mean to our future; on page 2082 the midwayer
commission gives this somber assessment:

During
the first third of the twentieth century Urantians killed more human
beings than were killed during the whole of the Christian dispensation
up to that time. And this is only the beginning of the dire harvest
of materialism and secularism; still more terrible destruction is yet
to come. (2082; my emphasis)

With
70 years of history we can bear witness to the truth of this prophecy.
For example, the twentiety century has been characterized in a documentary
series on the History Channel as “The Century of Warfare.”
Since this prediction of “still more terrible destruction yet
to come” America has experienced World War II, the Koren War, Vietnam,
the Afganistan war, and two wars against Iraq. There have been numerous
other large and small wars around the globe such as two Arab-Israeli
wars, the Russian-Afganistan war, the Chinese civil war, and the Iran-Iraq
war. In World War I eight and a half million soldiers lost their lives
Since the revelators prediction that this was only the beginning of
the dire harvest of materialism and secularism, some thirty million
more soldiers have been killed in war.

As
long as secularism rules the hearts and minds of mankind, war and destruction
will not end—this is the prophecy of the Urantia Book. We must have
the courage to face the future and trust in God to protect, guide, stabilize,
and strengthen us through the challenges that lie ahead.

Part 2

Secular-Spiritual
Conflict and the Triumph of the Spiritual

Now
if this were the end of the story, we would face a very bleak
future indeed. But this is not the end of the story There are
also many positive prophecies in the Urantia Book alongside these negative
predictions. They foretell a very different future; one filled with
great hope for our world. Listen as the revelators predict, over
and over, the rise of Jesus and the fall of secularism:

When
the present superstition revolt is over, the truths of Jesus’ gospel
will persist gloriously to illuminate a new and better way. (2082)

A
new and fuller revelation of the religion of Jesus is destined to conquer
an empire of materialistic secularism and overcome a world sway of mechanistic
naturalism, (2082)

No
matter what the apparent conflict between materialism and the teachings
of Jesus may be, you can rest assured that, in the ages to come, the
teachings of the Master will fully triumph. (2076)

Religion
is now confronted by the challenge of a new age of scientific minds
and materialistic tendencies. In this gigantic struggle between
the secular and the spiritual, the religion of Jesus will eventually
triumph. (2075)

“the religion of Jesus will eventually triumph”

We
have endured the bad news, now finally we hear the good news. There
is light at the end of the tunnel! Yes, there are great challenges we
must face, but secularism and its effects are not the only factors in
our world. The spiritual workings of the life and teachings of Jesus
are also present and they will eventually fully triumph over secularism.

The Triumph
of the Spiritual is Happening Now

There is more good news; we do not have to wait until a future age for
the triumph of the spiritual; it is alrady underway! Even now,
at the height of the secular dominance of planetary life, the teachings
of Jesus are at work overcoming the entrenched forces of secularism.
This is plainly stated on page 2082:

The
teachings of Jesus ...are even now slowly triumphing
over the materialism, mechanism, and secularism of the twentieth century.
(my emphasis)

Thus,
if we look to the future with faith in Urantia Book prophecy, we may
expect to witness not only increasing conflict between the secular and
the spititual, but also the growing power of the spiritual, and ultimately
the full and final triumph of the teachings of Jesus.

The
Next Step in our Spiritual Evolution—A New Revelation of Jesus

There
is more good news, and it is particularly relevant to our present generation.
For we are told that we live in a time and a future that will witness
a new and powerful revival of the true teachings of Jesus. This will
be the next step in our religious evolution. Listen carefully as the
midwayers make clear that the the time for this rediscovery of Jesus
is now:

The
hour is striking!

The
hour is striking for a rediscovery of the true and original foundations
of present-day distorted and compromised Christianity—the real life
and teachings of Jesus. (2083; my emphasis)

The
time is ripe to witness the figurative resurrection of the human
Jesus from his burial tomb amidst the theological traditions and the
religious dogmas of nineteen centuries. (2090; my emphasis)

Modern
culture must become spiritually baptized with a new revelation of
Jesus’ life and illuminated with a new understanding of his gospel
of eternal salvation(2084; my emphasis)

Notice
the dramatic imagery used by the authors to underline the significance
of our times; they tell us that the hour is striking,
that the time is ripe, and speak of modern culture. Can
there be any doubt that now is the time for this new revelation
of Jesus?

The
fostering of this revival of Jesus and his actual teachings is, in fact,
the great goal of the Urantia revelation. This purpose is clearly expressed
on page2090:

What
a transcendent service if, through this revelation, the Son of Man should
be recovered from the tomb of traditional theology and be presented
as the living Jesus to the church that bears his name, and to all other
religions!

The Impending
Spiritual Renaissance

There
is more good news in our future, for we are told that this new revelation
of Jesus will uplift our world and bring about a new age of spiritual
striving. Our destiny is not final destruction, but rather a great
new spiritual renaissancethat will completely transform and
renovate the entire planet. The Urantia Book gives us a prophetic
clue to the coming of this spiritual renaissance in the following statement
regarding secular education:

Even
secular education could help in this great spiritual renaissance
if it would pay more attention to the work of teaching youth how to
engage in life planning and character progression. (2086; my emphasis)

“quivering on the very brink” of a great spiritual renaissance

The
authors clearly predict this new era and emphasize that this spiritual
renaissance is not in some far away future—it lies directly ahead.
On page 2082 we find one of the most positive and hopeful prophecies
in the entire book. It foretells a very encouraging and exciting future.
Here is what the revelators’ forecast some 70 years ago:

Urantia
is now quivering on the very brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling
epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment.
(2082)

Our Call

What part will we play
in this great struggle between the teachings of Jesus and the secular
attitudes that dominate our world? Will we have the courage to live
a spirit-born life and espouse Jesus’ teachings? The revelators assure
us that it is precisely in such times of crisis as we now face that
a great new revelation can spring forth. On page 2082 they declare:

such
times of great testing and threatened defeat are always times of great

revelation

On
page 2084, the Urantia Book actually calls us to join in this
new revelation of Jesus. Listen, as the midwayers inspire us with a
very positive view of our future, and a unique opportunity to personally
participate in it.

The
call to the adventure of building a new and transformed human society
by means of the spiritual rebirth of Jesus’ brotherhood of the kingdom
should thrill all who believe in him as men have not been stirred since
the days when they walked about on earth as his companions in the flesh.
(2084; my emphasis)

This
is our call!

What
an adventure! What a thrilling opportunity! Think about it: we are called
to be part of a new revelation of Jesus which will transform our society,
triumph over secularism, and lead the world into a bright new age.

The Coming
of New Teachers of Jesus’ Religion

There are many ways we
can answer this call to build a new and transformed human society, but
most especially we are called to function as teachers and leaders. In
this regard, we are inspired by the fact that the revelators clearly
predict the coming of new teachers of Jesus’ religion. On page 2082
we read:

Religion
does need new leaders, spiritual men and women who will dare to depend
solely on Jesus and his incomparable teachings. If
Christianity persists in neglecting its spiritual mission while it continues
to busy itself with social and material problems, the spiritual renaissance
must await the coming of these new teachers
of Jesus’ religion who will be exclusively devoted to the spiritual
regeneration of men.

As
unprepared as we are, the Urantia Book appears to be calling us to function
as the new teachers and leaders who will help bring about this spiritual
renaissance. After all, it is we who have received the new revelation
of Jesus, and it is the revival of his actual teachings that will transform
our world.

Notice
especially that we are called to depend solely on Jesus
and to be exclusively devoted to the spiritual regeneration
of men. Let us clearly understand that this is a far greater
task than merely disseminating Urantia Books. That is a noble undertaking,
but we should understand that it is not what the Urantia Book calls
us to do. Consider this, the midwayers could have told us that what
is needed now is the dissemination of the Urantia Book, that we are
called to do this work, and that the world-wide acceptance of the Urantia
Book will bring about the new age. But they do not! Instead,
they call us to depend solely on Jesus, achieve spiritual transformation
in ourselves, and spiritual regeneration in others.

Three Requirements

(1)
Be born of the spirit

(2)
Depend solely on Jesus

(3) Be exclusively devoted to spiritual regeneration

Social,
Moral, Economic, and Political Reorganization

For
those who answer this call for spirit-born leaders we again find that
great success is predicted. And this success will not be limited to
the spiritual world. These new leaders will also help bring about fundamental
change throughout the entire spectrum of human life on earth. As we
observe the sad state of planetary affairs this is indeed welcome news.
Here is what is foretold:

And
then will these spirit-born souls quickly supply the leadership and

inspiration requisite for
the social, moral, economic, and political reorganization

of the world. (2082-83)

“the social,
moral, economic, and political reorganization of the world”

Summary
and Conclusions

In
summary: If we study the Urantia Book with an eye for prophetic content
we can discover much about our future. For example, if we look at the
secular-spiritual conflict we will find the past, present, and future
of this great struggle opened before our wondering gaze. Secularism,
which once served positive purposes, has grown to a point where it now
dominates our world. We live in a time where the dire consequences of
materialistic secularism are everywhere evident. This bitter fruit of
twentieth-century secularism includes the blighting of spiritual experience,
social disintegration, the rise of totalitarian states, animosity, war,
and worldwide disaster. Facing the challenges of such a future calls
for courage and trust in God for protection, guidance, stability, comfort,
and strength.

However,
secularism and its evil effects are not the only forces operating in
our world, and we are not called to merely endure its devastations.
Jesus’ life teachings are even now at work, combating and overcoming
the secular menace. A new revelation of Jesus is destined to fully triumph
over the present empire of materialistic secularism. This revival of
the actual teachings of Jesus will be the next stage in the religious
evolution of our planet. As it unfolds we will enter a new age that
will be characterized by spiritual enlightenment, moral uplift, and
social progress, and will witness the economic and political reorganization
of the world.

This
new era is not far off; it is impending, at the door. Urantia is quivering
on the very brink of a great new spiritual renaissance.

What
part will we play in this rebirth of Jesus and his actual teachings?
The Urantia Book clearly calls us to join in this great spiritual undertaking
and assures us that it is precisely in such troublous times as we now
face that great new revelations spring forth. We should especially note
that we are called to meet three specific requirements: we must be born
of the spirit, depend solely on Jesus and his teachings,
and be exclusively devoted to the spiritual regeneration
of others.

If
we do so we have a unique opportunity. We may becomethe new
teachers and leaders, prophesied by the Urantia Book, who
will bring light to our darkened world and help usher in a bright and
glorious new age, a spiritual renaissance!

Mr Preston you have shed some light upon the Urantia Book that has not been discussed on any other posts/blogs/articles/websites. The time for secularisim to culminate and take over the world is it hand and will bring forth much destruction and unfortunately “misguided” souls to worship “him” who is prophesied to deceive no many but most on this planet. Thank you for illustrating your deep understanding of the Urantia Book and its connection to the imposing and future world of affairs and it the impending spiritual reawakening that will surely follow if we follow the 3 steps you outlined. Please feel free to email with any other of your writing concerning anything connected to the Urantia book as I feel you are a positive force and loving brother in Christ! God bless you!